All businesses need a plan to succeed. If you own a small business a well thought out plan can help you make important decisions for your own company. Decisions about where to focus resources and capital. Decisions about how to market and what sales activities will bring you the most profitable customers. Running your business without a plan can feel like sailing a boat on a rough sea. You find yourself reacting to problems and unforeseen situations rather than charting a course to grow.

Unfortunately, traditional business plans can be long lengthy documents that can be intimidating to write. The information can seem irrelevant and out of touch with your business vision. Sometimes people write them only to stash them away in the bottom of a desk drawer, never to be looked at again… until the bank asks for it. That kind of business plan may not serve you or your business well.

Fortunately there are other ways to create a business plan that can really help you manage your business.In this hands-on workshop, we’ll work together to complete a one page business plan that you can use to help you make real decisions. Information that will help you chart a course to success when you want to add a product or service, change your pricing structure, or expand your customer base. SBDC Manager Eric Byrd will walk you through building your own simple business plan using The Business Model Canvas tool. You will leave with a valuable reference tool that communicates your business value to potential investors, partners, and teammates… and helps you make critical business decisions about hiring, marketing, operations to grow your business.